Pippajo asked what was in mincemeat, so I did a little research. Originally mincemeat did indeed have meat in it, and many traditional recipes still include suet. But nowadays it's mainly fruits, peels, spices, and nuts. With a little brandy.
The label on the Robertson's that I bought includes fruits, peel, and (surprisingly) palm oil and sunflower oil, making it ok for vegetarians. It was nice, but I jazzed it up by adding more apples, nuts, and brandy. If you are interested, this site has a nice summary of mince pie history.I think it would be nice sometime to make my own from scratch, but you have to make it well in advance and let it age, so for now I'm happy with the Robertson's. And the Lord of the Manor was certainly happy with it. Even though he had never tasted it before, he proclaimed it wonderful. Could it be his Scottish genes rising up to assert themselves?
Thank you! I had always wondered. So, mincemeat does sound a lot more appetizing than the name would suggest! I will definitely be trying that.
ReplyDeleteOh, and those assertive Scottish genes. They will rise up at the slightest provocation, won't they? (I've got them, too! ;-))
Thank you for the link…I will have a look at that as the diet is not going very well.
ReplyDeleteLove Lou xxx
You have made me hungry for mincemeat pie-it has been a lomg time & it sounds good
ReplyDeleteGreetings, Laura.
ReplyDeleteI love mincemeat, and like you, I have only had the meatless version. My mother used to bake mincemeat pies, and I have an awesome recipe for mini-mincemeat cakes.